Page 153 of Falling Overboard

A wicked grin. “Good. Because I need to show you just how much I’ve farfallen for you. I’m tortellini in love with you, Lucky Salerno.”

Then he had me flat on my back on the couch so quickly that it took me a second to catch my breath. “I’m setting myself up for a lifetime of nothing but puns, aren’t I?”

He nodded as he settled himself on top of me, kissing me slowly, in a tantalizing way that made every cell in my body light up with joy. “You are.”

“I guess that makes me the luckiest girl in the world.”

Hunter kissed the underside of my jaw. “I’m happy that I’m finally allowed to say that I’m getting Lucky.”

That made me laugh again. “I love you more than pasta and sugar.”

He stopped and stared down at me, the delight in his eyes evident. “Now that’s true love.”

“I also love your puns,” I said, stroking the side of his face.

He turned to catch my palm and put a kiss there. “I know.”

Then he proceeded to kiss me and throw every pun he could think of at me. “Bouy meets gull, harboring strong feelings, setting us up for a true row-mance, after we’ve been through hull and back. It’s been quite an oar-deal, but we both know that you bow-long with me.”

“I think you’re the only man in the world who could make puns sexy.”

He kissed me thoroughly, deeply, leaving me lightheaded. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stop?”

“Never,” I said. “Because our story has a ferry-tale ending.”

Epilogue

One year later . . .

Hunter had found the perfect location in Branford near the village of Stony Creek, about ten minutes from our apartment. Since Rodney had signed over the bakery building to me, Hunter and I had renovated the second floor to be our apartment.

And in the midst of all this, he had been working on his facility. Rodney had been more than happy to invest in Hunter’s dream. His parents had come around and donated. Hunter had hired some amazing people to help him navigate all the steps, hiring the right staff and therapists/psychologists/experts, coming up with the programming specifics, working on licensing and accreditation, setting up the 501(c)(3) to make it a nonprofit.

Today was the center’s soft launch and Hunter had invited everyone out. It was a big celebration and he was a month away from accepting their first clients, who would live here full-time on their road to mental health and addiction recovery.

He had decided to focus on outdoor activities, including equine therapy, and on the arts. A whole section of the converted bed-and-breakfast would be devoted to different mediums—painting, sculpting, drawing—along with a dance studio and all sorts of music therapy options. Singing, playing instruments, composing.

Everything had moved quickly because he was so motivated and because money greased all wheels.

I was beyond proud of him as I watched him cut the ribbon on the Harper Cartwright Academy. Rodney had come, as had all the Cartwrights. Hunter’s mother sobbed through the entire ceremony, his dad having to hold her the whole time.

They had been so welcoming to me. Susan had sent many a car for me so that I could spend time with her and Hunter’s younger sisters. I loved the entire Cartwright clan, and it felt like I was getting a bonus family.

Hunter was getting a bonus family, too. Rose and Lily cheered loudly as he cut the ribbon. I was so grateful they had come. I had offered my sisters jobs at the bakery but they had turned me down. Thanks to grants, Lily was back in school to get her nursing degree, and Rose had been promoted at her company. They were completely financially independent from me, and our relationship had never been better. They totally adored Hunter, to the point that I thought if he and I ever broke up, they would both choose him.

“Put the phone up higher, mate!” Georgia called out, and I lifted it so that she and the boys could see more clearly. Georgia and Pieter were still together and she was more shocked than anyone else about it. They were madly in love, though. Pieter had texted me last night to show me potential wedding rings so that I could help him pick out which one she would like best.

It was hard to imagine Georgia, of all people, settling down, but I supposed stranger things had happened.

Andre had gone back to São Paulo to open a restaurant where he could keep Preacher on his shoulder while he cooked. François had given up life at sea and returned to France, where he and his wife had welcomed another baby. Georgia had told me that his wife pretty much didn’t let him out of her sight, and I didn’t blame her. I hoped he would behave.

Thomas and Kai were still on the ship with Georgia and Pieter, and Hunter and I had talked about taking a trip out to the yacht sometime later in the summer. I did worry that it might be a little weird being a guest instead of part of the staff.

Fortunately, Captain Carl was long gone. Hank had fired him the day after Hunter told them everything that had occurred on the ship. Carl had taken Emilie with him.

Everyone on board adored the new captain, an Aussie named Jason who Georgia had immediately labeled a “stern brunch daddy.” He was good at his job and treated his staff well. The nonfraternization rule had been lifted.

Hank had renamed the yachtSeas the Day, the way he wanted. Hunter still joked about going and writingKnot Pro Bonosomewhere in small letters so that his dad wouldn’t see it.

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